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Old-Fashioned Bread Stuffing

Posted on November 16, 2017 by four sweetie pies

Happy Thanksgiving “Prep Week 2017! I’ve had many requests for my stuffing recipe. It’s very basic and I’ve adapted it throughout the years. Ive always loved stuffing since my mom made a version of this while I was growing up. I hope you enjoy too. Many blessings to you and yours, Happy Thanksgiving!

Old Fashioned Bread Stuffing

Note: This recipe makes apprx 8 servings, I usually triple the recipe to serve about 18 because even people who thought they didnt like stuffing love this recipe!

1 cup chopped celery

1/2cup slivered carrots

1 cup peeled and chopped apple

1/2 cup golden raisins

1/2 cup chopped onion

1/2 cup butter

3 tsp poultry seasoning

8 cups fresh bread, cubed or torn ( I use a mixture of white bread, a wheat or bread with grains, could use sourdough or raisin too- I like to mix the textures. You can cube your bread and let it sit out overnight to dry some, this is not necessary. Just use fresh bread and not those little dried squares from the grocery store! That is the key to this recipe :)

1 cup, approx, chicken broth

1/4 tsp salt

Directions

In a large pan, melt the butter and saute the onions, celery, carrots and apples until tender but not brown. Ahhh, the aroma here is the best :) Stir in the poultry seasoning and salt. Place torn bread into large bowl. Add onion mixture. Drizzle with the chicken stock. I do not stuff the turkey, just not my style but you can stuff if you desire. I bake this in a greased casserole dish at 325 for approx 40 minutes. Bake covered and uncover for the last 10-12 minutes if you’d the top to crisp a bit. I have made this in the crockpot, I prepare it first thing Thanksgiving morning and set in a greased crockpot on low setting for approximately 4-6 hours. Each crockpot if different, some cook faster than others so you can always add a bit of broth if its starting to dry too much. The stuffing begin to brown on the top and edges while the underneath with remain moist. Serving a scoop with the moist stuffing and crisp topping, mmmmh! Happy Thanksgiving!

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Posted in Thanksgiving and tagged Comfort Food, Stuffing, Thanksgiving. Bookmark the permalink.

Triple Chocolate Beet Bundt Cake

Posted on October 7, 2015 by four sweetie pies

Triple Chocolate Beet Bundt Cake

4 ounces semisweet chocolate chips

1 cup butter, softened and divided

1 1/2 cups brown sugar

3 eggs

2 cups shredded beets ( I used the food processor to make it speedy and neater)

1 tsp vanilla

2 cups flour (I used a white whole wheat)

2 tsp baking soda

1 cup chocolate chips (to add to batter)

1/3 cup cocoa powder

1/2 cup brewed coffee (I used a mocha-flavored coffee)

1/4 tsp salt

powder sugar for garnishing

In microwave, melt 4 ounces of chocolate chips and 1/4 cup butter, stir until smooth.
Cream (use stand mixer if you have) remaining butter and brown sugar, add eggs.
In small bowl combine the melted chocolate mixture, vanilla, coffee, and shredded beets.
Combine flour, baking soda and salt, gradually add to liquid mixture. Stir in chocolate chips (1 cup)
Pour into greased bundt pan. Bake at 375 degrees for 45-55 mins. Cool in pan for 15 minutes. Invert onto plate, when cool, sprinkle with powdered sugar.
Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from http://www.tasteofhome.com

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Skinny Crock Pot Lasagna

Posted on January 22, 2015 by four sweetie pies

Good evening foodie friends,

Just gonna quick post this yummy new crock pot recipe, so easy and so delicious! Perfect for a chilly winter night. Complete and total comfort food, made guilt-free!

Skinny Crock Pot Lasagna

Ingredients

Lasagna noodles-any type, uncooked

1 bag skim mozzarella cheese (2 cups)

1 16 ou container low-fat cottage cheese

1 egg

1 package frozen chopped spinach, squeeze excess water out

1 box sliced mushrooms

1 pound ground turkey

1 small onion, diced

few cloves of garlic, minced

1 tsp salt

2 jars of your favorite marinara, i used one that was a Spinach Marinara and one that was a Four Cheese type

1 small can tomato paste

1/2 cup grated parmesan

few tablespoons chopped parsley

fresh basil

Directions

I used my large, oval-shaped crock pot because the noodles fit nicely.

First, brown the ground turkey, mushrooms, onion, garlic in my crock pot insert (it’s for the stove too) and added the salt. Remove the mixture and simply wipe clean.

Mix the paste and sauces together in one bowl,

In another bowl, mix the cottage cheese, parmesan cheese, egg, spinach and parsley.

Begin by putting a thick later of sauce down in the bottom, cover with one layer of noodles, break some to have it fit evenly. The, a layer of cheese mixture, sprinkle with mozzarella, then the meat mixture. Repeat the layering process. I ended up with three layers of noodles. I finished with mozzarella cheese on top. Sprinkle some fresh basil on each layer.

Cook on low setting 5-7 hours, I had to hurry up the process and did a few hours on high and ended with a couple on low, this worked fine too :)

Bon appétit!

Recipe inspired by http://www.betterrecipes.com

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Posted in Crock Pot, Dinner and tagged Crock Pot Cooking, ground turkey, Italian, Lasagna. Bookmark the permalink.

Salted Caramel Blondies

Posted on November 11, 2014 by four sweetie pies

A quick drizzle update to the Salted Caramel Blondies, always a favorite when I take them anywhere! Enjoy :)

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Preheat oven to 375 degrees

List of ingredients

2 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp coarse sea salt

2 sticks of room-temperature butter

3/4 cup of white sugar

3/4 cup of brown sugar

1 tsp vanilla

2 eggs

1 1/2 cups of semi-sweet chocolate chips

1 cup of Kraft Caramel Bits (tiny preformed balls of caramel found in baking section)

2 cups of slightly broken pretzel twists

Salted Caramel or Butterscotch melting wafers to drizzle on top after cutting

Instructions

Cream butter, sugars and vanilla together. (I use my Kitchen-Aid Stand Mixer for almost all of my baking) Add eggs. Slowly add flour, baking soda and salt. Mix in chocolate chips and caramel bits.

Spray a 9×13 baking pan with cooking spray. Line pan with parchment paper and lightly spray. Spread dough in pan and gently press pretzel pieces on top. The beauty of the parchment paper step is that you…

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Warm Golden Beet Salad

Posted on August 7, 2014 by four sweetie pies

Hello foodie friends!

Here is a great salad recipe from my CSA veggie share….

Warm Golden Beet Salad with Greens & Almonds

1 bunch golden beets, including the greens
Olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 cloves garlic, slivered
4 ounces feta cheese, crumbled
2/3 cup toasted almond slivers (I used pepitas)

Heat the oven to 425°F. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. Remove leaves from beet roots and set aside. Rinse beets, pat dry, and place them in the pan. Drizzle with olive oil, season with salt and pepper, and cover with foil. Cook beets for 1 hour or until they can be just pierced with a fork. Set aside to cool.

Meanwhile, rinse the beet greens and slice them into ribbons. In a large skillet, heat a drizzle of olive oil over medium heat and add the garlic. Cook on low for about 5 minutes or until the garlic is golden and fragrant. Add the chopped leaves and stir to coat with the garlic. Cook on medium-low for about 10 minutes or until the leaves are soft and tender. Remove from the heat.

When the beets are cool, rub them with a paper towel to remove the skin. Then chop into bite-sized pieces and toss with the cooked greens, feta cheese, and almonds. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve warm.

Recipe adapted from :
http://www.sandhillfamilyfarms.com

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Plum Upside-Down Cake

Posted on June 30, 2014 by four sweetie pies

Happy summer Monday friends!

Last night I had a surplus of plums and decided to make a fruity summer dessert- a Plum Upside Down Cake. It is a lovely dessert, but it is so good for you that it could easily pass for a healthy breakfast coffee cake! I calculated the Weight Watchers Points and based on 10 servings, it is a 5 point treat and that is a generous piece :)

Plum Upside-Down Cake

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Ingredients

For sauce:

1 TBL butter

8 plums, pitted and quartered (no need to remove skin)

1/2 cup sugar

1/4 tsp cardamom

1 tsp cinnamon

Pinch of salt

For cake:

2 TBL applesauce

2 TBL softened butter

1/2 cup sugar

1/4 tsp salt

1 1/2 cups white whole wheat pastry flour

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

2 eggs (could use egg whites and reduce calories)

3/4 cup low fat buttermilk

1 TBL almond extract

1 tsp vanilla

Directions

Melt 1 TBL butter in a skillet, add plums and cook 3-4 minutes. Add the 1/2 cup sugar, cardamom, cinnamon and salt. Cook down until plums are tender about 10 minutes. Bring liquid to a boil and cook until liquid begins to thicken up, about 5-10 minutes.

Spray a 9 inch cake pan with baking spray. Remove plums from skillet and place in cake pan. Once liquid is slightly thickened, pour over plums.

To make the cake batter:

Beat the 2 TBL of butter and 2 TBL of applesauce together. Add the eggs, vanilla and almond extract. Combine the flour, baking powder and 1/4 tsp salt. Add the flour mixture and buttermilk, alternating each, into the sugar mixture.

Pour batter over plums and gently spread to cover. Bake @ 350 for about 45-50 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

Allow to cool for 10 minutes. Run knife around edge of pan. Place a platter upside-down on top of the cake and carefully invert cake.

Serve with whipped cream or vanilla bean ice cream.

Enjoy!

Adapted from: http://www.cookinglight.com

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Posted in Uncategorized and tagged Cake, plum, summer dessert, Weight WAtchers. Bookmark the permalink.

Thai Turkey Lettuce Wraps

Posted on May 19, 2014 by four sweetie pies

Good morning fellow foodies!

Here’s a quick and light dinner option. There are a lot of yummy, crisp veggies and the dish came together so fast! Isn’t that what we all need on busy weeknights!?!? Everyone at my house loved it and it will definitely be making a comeback to the Barhorst Menu soon :)

Thai Turkey Lettuce Wraps

Ingredients

1 pound ground turkey

1 heaping tsp cumin

1 heaping tsp chili powder

1/4 tsp red pepper flakes

3 TBL soy sauce

1 TBL peanut butter

drizzle of bottled teriyaki, I like to keep a bottle of “Soy Vay Veri Veri Teriyaki” on hand in the fridge for summer grilling

Boston lettuce for the wraps, washed and leave leaves whole

1-2 TBL chopped fresh ginger

1-2 TBL chopped garlic

1-2 cups bok choy (chopped)

1-2 cups shredded carrots

1-2 cups sliced mushrooms

1/2 cup ramps (wild leeks or any other onion you have)

1-2 cups red pepper, chopped

small can of water chestnuts, chopped (fyi water chestnuts are not a tree nut)

Sprigs of cilantro for serving

Optional: chopped peanuts for serving

Directions

Brown the ground turkey with the garlic, ginger, onions and mushrooms. Drain if necessary, but with the low-fat ground turkey there is usually not much to drain.

Stir in the cumin, chili powder and red pepper flakes. Add the soy sauce, peanut butter and teriyaki sauce and mix to combine. Add all the veggies, notice that the measurements are a little vague, but it’s really personal preference. I like a lot of veggies and less meat, but it’s purely your choice.

Cook until veggies are slightly tender and heated through. If you feel you like your wraps a little saucier, add a couple more splashes of soy and/or teriyaki.

Serve meat and veggie mixture with the lettuce leaves. Top with reserved cilantro and/or chopped peanuts. Enjoy!

Happy Monday all :)

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Posted in Dinner, healthy eating, kids, Veggies and tagged ground turkey, lettuce wraps, Thai. Bookmark the permalink.

How to use all those CSA veggies?!

Posted on May 14, 2014 by four sweetie pies

Good afternoon friends,

Wondering how to use all those spring veggies from your CSA (Consumer Supported Agriculture group) or the local farmers market? Here’s an idea-a giant salad with sautéed veggies, chicken and an egg! It’s packed with protein and filling. It’s no secret that I love to eat and sometimes a cold salad for lunch just isn’t as satisfying for me. I love salads that have a “warm” component. They’re more filling and keep you running throughout the afternoon.

This takes a couple minutes, but it’s well worth it :) The recipe is really free-form. Use what you have, what is fresh and what you like!

Spring Salad with Sautéed Chicken, Veggies and a Farm-Fresh Egg

Ingredients

lettuce

chicken breast

mushrooms

ramps (wild leeks)

red pepper

asparagus

olive oil

balsamic vinegar

low-fat feta cheese crumbles

egg-fresh from the farm if you can, the flavor is so much more intense!

Directions

Wash and place lettuce on your plate. Salt chicken and saute in a splash of olive oil. Set chicken aside. Add chopped mushrooms, ramps (or any onion) red pepper, asparagus to pan and quickly stir fry until slightly tender. Add a splash of balsamic vinegar and stir to incorporate. Allow to slightly absorb. Arrange your veggies and chicken over your lettuce. Prepare your egg sunny side up, over easy or poached so the delicious buttery yolk can drip down over your veggies, add to top of salad. Sprinkle with feta and enjoy! There are so many yummy flavors going on here, I don’t even feel the need for salad dressing. Save the calories and have some dark chocolate later :)

Bon Appetit!

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Posted in Salads, Veggies and tagged CSA, egg, main dish salads, salad, Sandhill Organics. Bookmark the permalink.

Cranberry Orange Muffins

Posted on May 9, 2014 by four sweetie pies

Good evening friends!

In honor of Teacher Appreciation Week, I made some yummy Cranberry Orange Muffins for the fabulous teachers in my kids life. I am so very thankful for the teachers who work so hard day in and day out inspiring, motivating, challenging and sparking that desire to learn in our kids. We have been blessed with so many wonderful teachers over the years. Some who have become my dear friends and some who simply remain in your heart forever. Special teachers can truly make a difference in a child’s life. Thank you from the bottom of my heart to all those teachers who have gone the extra mile for us all for all!

These muffins are not low-fat or healthy in any way, but they are delicious!

Cranberry Orange Muffins

Yield- 24 muffins

Ingredients

Streusel Topping

1/2 cup flour

4 TBL sugar

1 tsp cinnamon

6 TBL butter, cold and diced

Muffins

4 cups flour

2 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

2 cups frozen cranberries, chopped

2 eggs

1 cup brown sugar

1 cup white sugar

2 cups buttermilk

2/3 cup canola oil

2 tsp vanilla extract

4 TBL orange zest, fresh is best

Glaze

1 cup powdered sugar

2-3 TBL orange juice

1-2 TBL orange zest

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line muffin tins with liners of your choice.

Make the streusel by combining all the ingredients and cutting in the butter with a pastry blender.

To make the muffin batter, (use a large bowl) toss the flour, baking soda, salt and cranberries together until combined. Set aside. In another bowl, whisk the eggs, both sugars together until combined. Whisk in the buttermilk, oil, vanilla and zest. Gently combine the wet and dry ingredients. Stir only until combined.

Fill muffins cups 1/2 to 3/4 full. Press streusel evenly onto each muffin.

Bake for approximately 25 minutes or until tops are firm. Allow muffins to cool.

Assemble the glaze by whisking the powdered sugar, OJ and zest together. Once muffins are cool, remove them from pan and put on a wire rack. Drizzle the muffins with the glaze.

Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from http://www.sallysbakingaddiction.com

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Posted in Breakfast and tagged breakfast, cranberry, muffins, teacher appreciation. Bookmark the permalink.

Thai Turkey Chili

Posted on April 1, 2014 by four sweetie pies

A chilly April Fool’s Day in Chicago calls for a steaming, hearty bowl of Thai Chicken Chili. I am using ground turkey today and firing up the crock pot. This delicious chili will hit the spot after our blustery afternoon track meet!

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English: Fresh Cilantro (Coriander) Deutsch: Verkaufsübliches Bund frischer Koriander (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Good afternoon friends,

I made an amazing chili recipe last night that I’d like to share with you. It has so many complex favors coming together, definitely a different spin on the traditional chili. It went over well with almost everyone here! There is a little heat to it, but that could be toned down if you desire. Another great feature is that I whipped it up early in the morning and poured it in the crock pot and let it slow cook all day. It seems like the days are getting shorter and shorter and we are squeezing in more and more activities, so these crock pot recipes are a huge help to me and hopefully you too.

Hope you enjoy :)

Thai Chicken Chili

Ingredients

1 lb ground chicken (ground turkey could be used too)

2-3…

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